Jeff Sepiol, left, and Johnny Vargo plan to open a version of their popular, Zionsville restaurant and pub in the new Union Green development in Brownsburg. Their new Chicago-themed business, which will open in 2019, will be called Rush Off Main. The name is a nod to their roots in The Region and their Zionsville site called Rush On Main.(Photo: Tim Evans/IndyStar)Buy Photo

The owners of a popular Zionsville restaurant and pub are bringing their "Chicago-style eats" to Brownsburg next year.

Jeff Sepiol and Johnny Vargo, who operate Rush On Main in downtown Zionsville, are planning a second location in the new Union Green development now under construction in Brownsburg.

With a focus on the kinds of food they ate growing up in The Region, they hope to open Rush Off Main in the first quarter of 2019.

Rush Off Main is the first restaurant to announce plans to locate in a nearly $90 million redevelopment project that will create a new downtown atmosphere along North Green Street in Brownsburg. It will be located in space at the northeast corner of the intersection of Green and Franklin streets.

"Our goal is to kind of emulate the atmosphere we have (in Zionsville)," explained Vargo, 39, who grew up in Griffith. "We definitely want to be family friendly."

He said they also want to become involved in the community, supporting local organizations and other businesses.

"We're just real excited to be a part of the community," Sepiol said, "and help create jobs in Brownsburg."

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Rush Off Main, a restaurant and pub featuring "Chicago-style eats," will open during the first quarter of 2019 in the new Union Green development now under construction in Brownsburg. It will be owned and operated by Jeff Sepiol and Johnny Vargo, who operate Rush On Main in Zionsville.(Photo: Tim Evans/IndyStar)

Sepiol and Vargo are self-proclaimed "Region Rats" who struck up a friendship through their children after relocating to Central Indiana. They opened Rush on Main in Zionsville in the summer of 2016.

Before that, Sepiol was working in the food-service industry and Vargo taught engineering and robotics at Plainfield High School. When Sepiol expressed an interest in opening his own place, Vargo told his friend he wanted in on the project that became Rush on Main.

"From the very beginning we talked about the food we grew up with there in The Region. Everything we serve is kind of what we grew up eating," explained Sepiol, 44, who was raised in Crown Point. "Johnny just loves the food like I do."

Vargo added: "Jeff had looked at a lot of different space, but when we saw this spot we knew it would be perfect for the food, the atmosphere of a Chicago-style restaurant, family pub."

They feel the same way about their new Union Green site in Brownsburg. Billed as "a four-story luxury lifestyle community," the development features apartments over ground-floor retail space.

Union Green, which includes a 212-space parking garage, is part of a larger redevelopment project along North Green Street featuring hundreds of apartments, along with ground-floor office and retail space.

Rush Off Main, like Rush On Main, will feature family dining and a bar area offering wines, mixed drinks and a variety of beers ranging from Old Style to craft brews from The Region like Three Floyds.

An Italian beef sandwich, dubbed "Da Beef," is the top seller at Rush On Main in Zionsville. Owners Jeff Sepiol and Johnny Vargo will open a second location in 2019 in Brownsburg.(Photo: Submitted by Johnny Vargo)

But the main attraction is the food — which will be a unique, new option for Brownsburg diners. The top-seller is an Italian beef sandwich, dubbed "Da Beef." Sepiol proclaims it "better than Portillo's."

The beef is roasted and sliced in-house every day, Sepiol said, and the "gravy" is also made in-house the same way his grandmother made it. The giant sandwiches are served on bread they get from Chicago, and come dry, dipped, or wet. You can also get them topped with a zesty giardiniera.

Sepiol said he and Vargo had been thinking about a second location and zeroed in on Brownsburg after a town official came into Rush On Main more than a year ago. He encouraged them to consider the new developments being planned in Brownsburg.

Rush Off Main, a new restaurant and pub opening next year in the Union Green development in Brownsburg, will feature "Chicago-style eats" like the all-in Chicago Dog. The restaurant and pub will be operated by Jeff Sepiol and Johnny Vargo, who also run Rush On Main in Zionsville.(Photo: Submitted by Johnny Vargo)

Vargo said the fast-growing Hendricks County town was a logical choice for a number of reasons, including being close to Zionsville.

"Our families already dine and shop there," he said. "There's a lot of families. They're loyal to their town and their sports and schools. We just felt like it was a perfect fit for our atmosphere and the food we produce."

Sepiol added they also were impressed with the vision for the town's downtown redevelopment project.

Rush Off Main will be about 40 percent larger than Rush On Main, which is located in a second-floor space that formerly was a coffee shop. They expect a capacity of more than 100 in the family dining area and separate bar, which will be larger than the 21-and-over space in Zionsville.

The Brownsburg location also will allow for the possibility of outdoor seating, and provide space to expand their catering business.